Tuesday, February 12, 2008

Remember that Tampa Gas station explosion?

The FBI is involved. CAIR is now involved, too. What does that tell you?

Many questions are left surrounding the death of a young Palestinian man. And, the FBI wants answers.

22-year-old Farid Karaka was burned alive after a gas station explosion early Wednesday morning on Busch Boulevard.

How did it happen?

Why was Karaka at a local Citgo mechanic’s garage at almost midnight. The garage was closed. He had just left friends at a local coffee shop and was en route to meet them at another location.

The FBI is asking all of these questions. But, they are tight-lipped on telling the media anything. They even refused comment on any connection of Karaka to 2 USF students who were recently arrested.

The question again is why. Have they established a connection? Are they looking into this as a matter of precaution? It would seem odd that a federal agency is involved in a matter left up to local fire investigators.

A local Muslim advocate group, CAIR, is welcoming any questions. And, wanting answers.

“Obviously when any crime happens or any accident happens, we welcome authorities and agencies getting to the bottom of things,” Ahmed Bedier told Tampa Bay’s 10 News at the scene of the fire. “We have lost a good young man.”

In keeping with Muslim tradition, the family wants the victim buried as soon as possible, which will most likely happen in Tampa. Karaka’s close family is located in Palestine. He was working in the United States to send money back home. Relatives in Brandon now have the somber task of burying their loved one, just 2 months before he was to marry a fiancĂ© in New York.